One That Is Lost
by Enthusiastic Fish
Summary: Tony-centered story written for the NFA We Love Tony challenge. Tony convinces Tim to go hiking in the Rockies... only to have everything go wrong. Six chapters and a short epilogue.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **This is a bit of a departure for me. It's written for the NFA We Love Tony challenge, i.e. Tony is the star of this story, and I don't do that very often. In fact, I've never written a multi-chapter story in which Tony is the main character and not Tim. :) But here it is. It's only 6 chapters and an epilogue, but that's more than I've ever done before with Tony as the main character. I hope it's okay.

**Disclaimer:** As always, I do not own NCIS and I'm not making any money from this story.

* * *

><p><strong>One That Is Lost<br>**by Enthusiastic Fish

**Chapter 1**

It had seemed like such a good idea at the time.

That thought kept running through Tony's mind as he made his way down the mountain. He hated that he was going down the mountain alone, but he couldn't see any other option. He was lost. It was getting dark. His phone was gone, and there'd been no service anyway.

...and Tim needed help.

He had tried to get down to him, but every attempt had almost led to Tony joining Tim in the worst possible way.

The only possibility for getting Tim the help he needed (if he was still alive...but no, Tony wasn't going to admit that Tim could be dead. Nope. No way.) was if he got someone who could do more than he could.

That was why he was trying to get down the mountain in the darkness. He hoped he didn't run into animals. He hoped that no animals would find Tim, although he couldn't see how they'd get to him. He hoped that he didn't step on something and hurt himself because then Tim would still be injured (not dead) and he wouldn't be able to do anything.

And he really hoped that he wasn't making a mistake by leaving Tim where he had fallen and trying to find help.

As he went down the mountain, as fast as he possibly could without being able to see where he was going, he thought again.

It had seemed like such a good idea at the time.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

_Two weeks ago..._

"Come on, McGee!" Tony wheedled.

"Why in the world would you think that I'd want to go hiking in the Rocky Mountains?" Tim asked. "When have I ever even _intimated_ that I'd want to do that?"

"Never. You've never suggested that you like hiking," Tony said, easily.

"Then...why do you think I'd want to go?"

"Because my hiking buddy finked out on me and I don't have anyone else to go with?"

Tim raised an eyebrow.

"So I'm just your last desperate attempt? That's just great."

Tony grinned, grabbed Tim by the shoulders and shook him dramatically.

"You're never last, Probie."

"Do you two need a room?" Ellie asked as she sat down at her desk.

Tim pulled away and rolled his eyes.

"No. Tony is trying to talk me into going hiking with him."

Ellie smiled.

"That sounds like fun! Why aren't you excited?"

"Because the only hiking I do is with scouts who are nine years old. That's not the kind of hiking Tony is talking about," Tim said. "He's talking about in the mountains, the Rocky Mountains."

"You should go, McGee," Ellie said. "I've done some hiking in the Rockies. We used to go out there on family trips. The views are absolutely amazing. Nothing like them."

"Then, _you_ go with Tony."

"I think Jake might have an issue with that," Ellie said, laughing.

"Please, McGee?" Tony asked. "I'll never ask you to do something like this again."

"Yeah, I'm sure of that. I can't believe you're going hiking in the first place. That's not your thing."

"I'm a man of hidden talents. Come on! Please? Pretty please? It's not safe to hike alone! You wouldn't want me to wonder off and get lost, would you?"

Tim rolled his eyes again and sighed, a sure sign of capitulation.

"You won't regret it!"

"I'm regretting it already," Tim grumbled.

But he smiled a little and put in the request for leave to HR. Tony felt triumphant. He'd never tell Tim, but the hiking trip had actually been his friend's idea. They'd planned it and got the hotels...and then, his friend had backed out. No cancellation on the hotels, and Tony wasn't about to eat that cost. He'd just needed to find someone to go with him, and Tim was probably the only person he could have talked into it at such short notice.

It was a great idea, and he was sure they'd have fun.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

_Present..._

Tony took a wrong step and there was nothing where he thought there should have been a trail. He stumbled forward and took a brief tumble down the mountainside. Luckily, it _was_ brief. The ground leveled out, and he lay on his back, breathing heavily through the adrenaline rush.

"Okay, Tony. Get up. Can't stay here, and you have to find help."

Tentatively, he sat up, checking for serious injury and, thankfully, finding none. He might be scratched and bruised, but nothing was broken.

Thank goodness.

One last, loud whoosh and he got to his feet, resuming his downward trek. He really had no idea where he was. He hoped he was still on the same trail they'd been on before because that would lead him to the campground where they'd parked that morning. Surely, someone would be there.

...but he didn't know if he was.

They weren't supposed to be out on the trail at night. That was never part of the plan. That meant no flashlights. They weren't going to camp on the trail. That meant no tents, no big food supply. They weren't going rock climbing. They had no climbing gear. Tony had intentionally picked a trail that wasn't popular because he hated fighting through crowds.

That meant no people to find them.

Over and over, he cursed the circumstances that had led to this.

Over and over, he replayed, in horrific slow motion, a scene he'd probably never forget.

Over and over, he wished that he could have stopped it.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

_Earlier that day..._

"How much further up is it?" Tim asked, puffing a little.

"Shouldn't be too far," Tony said. He was a little winded himself, but he was trying not to show it.

"I don't know," Tim said, looking around. "I would have thought that there would be _somebody_ around here. We haven't seen a single other hiker on the trail. Maybe we're lost."

"Doesn't matter if we're a little off the trail. As long as we get back down."

"Yeah, well, I'd prefer to get back down to the car, rather than in the middle of nowhere," Tim said.

He sat down and arched his back.

"Admit it," Tony said. "This has been fun!"

"Yeah...a little," Tim said and smiled. "Tiring, though. And my feet are starting to hurt."

"You won't even notice once we start going down. We'll be able to sprint down the mountain."

Tim laughed and shook his head. "No way, man. You can sprint all you like, but I plan on keeping myself fully in control of my descent. That would bring on my fear of heights, for sure."

"Nothing else has."

"That's because we haven't been near the edge."

"We will be soon."

Tim grimaced. "Don't remind me."

They rested for a few more minutes and then started on the trail again. Privately, Tony was wondering if they'd got off the trail, too, but he wasn't going to admit that to Tim. He was determined to get to the top of this mountain, if only so that they could say they'd done it. Then, surely, they'd see the real trail (if they were off the trail) and be able to follow that back down.

It was clear that they were getting to the real mountains, now. The trees were gone, and there were crags and sharp drops. Tim was clearly starting to get nervous, but he didn't complain. Tony was actually impressed that he was doing so well. He'd thought that Tim would give up halfway to the top. He hadn't.

Ten minutes later...

The trail was basically gravel and they'd skidded more than once. Tony was ahead, blazing their path. He could see the end of the rock field. He turned back to encourage Tim and tell him they were almost through.

"Hey, Tim! We're almost..."

Tim took a step, but instead of leaning forward, for some reason, he leaned backward.

...the wrong way...

As if the world had slowed down, Tony watched as Tim began to topple backward. His arms were waving frantically as he tried to regain his balance, but he was tired and the backpack was just heavy enough.

"Tim!" Tony shouted and began to scramble back, trying desperately to get to his friend before he fell.

It was a long way down.

And Tony was just barely too far away.

He got there just barely too late.

Tim fell off the mountain.

Tony grabbed for him, but he missed. Instead, he could just watch. Watch as Tim fell.

It was a sheer drop for about 15 feet. Then, it was a steep crevice for a lot more.

Tim fell, hit the side of the crevice. Hard. Then, he slid until he was almost out of sight and stopped. Tony could only barely see him.

"Tim! Tim! Can you hear me?"

There was no response. Tony couldn't see that Tim was moving. He quickly took off his backpack and tried to find some way to get down to Tim, to get Tim back up. He kept calling down, hoping that Tim would respond.

There was nothing but silence.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

_Present..._

Tony grimaced. Three times, he had tried to get down without falling himself. Three times, he'd failed. He had looked around for someone to come and help, but he hadn't seen a single sign of any other human being around. He tried again and again to come up with some way of getting down to Tim, of saving him...but he couldn't.

And Tim had never responded to any of his calls. Tony knew that Tim could have died in the fall, but he refused to believe it. That was why he was determined to get down and find help. No one would miss them. No one would think to look for them. He had to get help himself.

He had debated whether it would be better to go up to the summit and see if maybe they _had_ got off the trail and someone might be up there, but in the end, he didn't want to risk it. If he went down, he'd get to the campground.

...at least, that's what he had thought before the sun had set and he was making his way in the dark.

Tony wasn't a big prayer, but he hadn't stopped praying that Tim had survived since he'd made the decision to leave and go down the mountain for help. In the hopes of making sure he knew exactly where Tim was, he had cut off a strip from his shirt and tied it around rock. It was bright; so hopefully, it would be obvious when he came back with help.

When.

At this point, it was full dark. Tony couldn't even see his hand in front of his face. He had long since got back into the trees, and there were no city lights to guide him. There weren't even stars. The clouds had come in at some point. He didn't know when.

In fact, it was pretty cold.

That meant it would be even colder further up the mountain. Tony's stomach clenched with worry.

A strong wind came up out of nowhere, whipping trees back and forth. It sounded dangerous, but Tony couldn't stop. He had to keep moving.

Branches fell and, soon, they were accompanied by raindrops.

"Come on! Not a storm, too!"

Tony reined in his panic and increased his pace. He tripped multiple times, fell to the ground multiple times. His hands were torn and bleeding, but he refused to stop.

He thought briefly about wild animals and, then, dismissed the thought. It wasn't going to change anything.

Finally, after who knew how long, he ran out of steam and the next time he tripped, he fell to his knees and gasped for breath. He was wet, cold and extremely tired. As he tried to get his breath back, he thought he heard something above the wind. Something he wouldn't have thought about hearing on a mountainside.

_Baa! Baa!_

"Sheep?" Tony said aloud.

Were these wild sheep or were they someone's flock? It was worth finding out.

Tony forced himself back to his feet and began to stagger toward the bleating sheep he could hear.

Then, he heard a sound he didn't care much for.

A growl. A deep, menacing growl.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Tony could see the dark shape of the dog, although not any particular features. He could just tell that it was big. Big and mean.

"Good dog," he said, trying to sound soothing. "I'm not going to steal a sheep. I promise."

Tony looked around and, at long last, he saw a sign of civilization.

A light.

"Hello!" he called out. "Is this your dog? Can you call him off?"

At first, all he could hear was the bleating of sheep and the growling of the dog who was getting closer and closer. Tony backed off a few steps without running.

"Hello!" he called again.

"Connall!"

The dog stopped growling and another light appeared. Tony took an experimental step forward and the dog began growling again.

"Who's out there? I warn you. I'm armed and Connall doesn't like strangers!"

The voice was far from friendly, but this was the first person he'd run into, and Tony was getting desperate.

"I'm not armed and I love strangers," Tony said. "Please, I need some help."

"Stay where you are, and I'll decide whether I think you're telling the truth or not."

Tony stayed where he was. Connall didn't seem to like him moving, anyway. The sheep were still bleating. The speaker seemed to be taking his sweet time getting to Tony, but at last, he was there, shining a welcome flashlight beam in Tony's face. Tony couldn't see him, but he focused on looking as harmless as possible.

"Now, who are you and why did you wake up my flock?" the man asked. "And what in the name of all that is holy are you doing walking around out here in the dark?"

Tony lifted his hand and tried to block out the flashlight.

"My friend fell off the mountain and I couldn't get to him. I need some help."

"What were you doing rock climbing in the middle of the night? That's pretty stupid."

"We weren't rock climbing, just hiking, and it wasn't the middle of the night when he fell. Please, can you help?"

The flashlight lowered and Tony could see an older man than he'd expected.

"Up the mountain?"

"Yeah."

"You can't get back up there, tonight."

"I have to. We can't leave him there!"

The man walked to Tony and started to usher him forward. Tony resisted a little bit, but it was raining and it was cold and he was really tired.

"Just come with me, son. We'll get you patched up."

"Patched up?"

"I'm pretty sure you've looked better."

Tony looked at his hands and laughed a little.

"I'll assume that's the case. Some people might disagree."

The man laughed, too.

They walked to a large lean-to.

"Wow. That's pretty impressive."

"I know. Have a seat, son."

Tony gave in and sat down under the lean-to. He was impressed that it was completely dry.

"So...what's your name?"

"Tony."

"I'm Jesse. That's Connall."

"He's a good guard dog."

"He's a sheep dog. I'm a shepherd."

"Really?"

"Yep. I pretty much live up here during the summer. I'm starting to move my flock down to the fields. I have a sheep camp waiting for me for the fall."

"All by yourself?"

"Me and Connall. Now, let me get out my kit and we can get you patched up."

"But...Tim is still up there on the mountain!"

Jesse paused and looked at Tony.

"I understand that you're worried and that you want to help your friend, but if you came down the mountain in the dark, you're lucky you didn't break your neck. Clearly, you're lost."

"Why would you say that?"

"Because you woke up my sheep at two a.m. I'm not near any hiking trails."

"Oh." Tony sighed and felt his shoulders slump. "But...we can't just leave him there!"

"We won't. I'll get you patched up. You'll sleep for a few hours, get your strength back, and we'll head up the mountain at first light. I'll have to leave Connall behind to watch my flock, but if you were crashing around like a drunken bear on the mountain like you were in the trees here, you'll have left quite a trail. Even after the rain, it shouldn't be hard to miss."

Tony couldn't help smiling a little even as he wanted to protest waiting at all to get back to Tim. Logically, he knew that Jesse was right, but he didn't like to sit around. He didn't want to wait when he _knew_ someone was in danger. It just felt wrong.

Jesse turned on a lantern and began to clean off Tony's hands. They _were_ pretty much hashed.

"How many times did you fall down?"

"I can't count that high," Tony said with false bravado.

"I can tell. Well, we'll just patch you up and you can tell me what happened."

Tony sighed and told how they had gone hiking, how Tim had lost his balance and Tony just barely missed him when he fell.

"I was _so_ close, but I just couldn't quite get there, and...and I couldn't get down to him, either. I almost fell down after him, trying to get to where he fell."

"Good thing you went for help. I don't think you were on a trail at all...or if it _was_, it's not a maintained trail and not a place people generally hike. You probably wouldn't have seen another soul on that mountain."

Tony swore feelingly.

"Now, don't get down on yourself. If he survived that fall, we'll get to him in the morning. I'd say that we could go find someone else, first, but I'm not sure how far we'd have to go. There's a campground, but it's about five miles away from here and I'm on foot, myself."

"On foot? What if the sheep ran away?"

"They won't leave. I'm their shepherd."

"Do _they_ know that?"

"Yes, they do," Jesse said. "Now, it's true, every so often, one will wander off, but they come back, and they know that if they get lost and _can't_ get back, I'll find them. I'd never leave my sheep behind."

Tony laughed a little. "You sound like a Marine."

"Nope. Not a Marine. Just a shepherd. I used to be more of a sheep herder. I moved them around. They were income and I didn't think about them much more than that, but... ever since my wife died a few years ago, I've focused on my sheep. They need me, and I need them. I'm not rich, but I have a good life. Connall keeps me company and warns me if any predators are coming around."

"Do you have that problem a lot?"

"Oh, I've had to get rid of some wolves. Not many. Connall's a match for them and I'm armed. And I don't leave the sheep up here in the winter. Not enough feed. So I start them down when it gets cold and the farmers let me graze them in what's left in their fields. I have my sheep camp to keep the chill out and it works really well. Used to be, all the sheep ranchers did that around here, but there aren't too many of us left following the old-fashioned way."

Tony nodded mutely. It was moderately interesting, but his mind was all on whether or not Tim was still alive.

"You're lucky that it's still so warm."

"Warm?"

"Yep. This time of year, it can snow in the mountains. This storm is all rain. Definitely warm."

"I'll take your word for it."

"Do. I'm over sixty years old and I've lived in this area most of my life. I know the weather. Now, what I think you should do is have a drink of water, lay down and sleep for a couple of hours. When it gets light, I'll wake you up and we'll head up the mountain."

"I don't know if I can sleep," Tony said, but at the same time, he was aching with exhaustion.

"Lay down and try. You can protest if it doesn't work and you stay awake."

Tony leaned back and closed his eyes. He didn't _want_ to sleep, but he was _so_ tired. As soon as his eyes closed, he was out.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Jesse smiled as Tony sagged down into sleep. Then, he gestured to Connall and patted the dog on the head.

"I don't know, Connall. Hours since he fell. A bad fall and no response to repeated calls? He could be dead."

Connall whuffled at him.

"I know. You're right. We can't leave him there if there's even a chance. You never leave a sheep who's wandered off. ...even if it's a human sheep."

Tony started to snore and Jesse chuckled softly. There was no question that Tony needed the sleep. No matter how worried he was, if he had been trying to get down the mountain in the dark, he had the right to sleep for a couple of hours.

However, Jesse himself was very awake and he decided to think about what they'd need to get to Tim. If he'd fallen as far as Tony had indicated, then, they'd need to get down to him. Ropes. Luckily for Tony, Jesse prided himself on being ready for every situation. He'd had to get his sheep, mostly lambs, out of the strangest places, and, generally, he had to do it on his own because he was out in the middle of nowhere.

He got out his backpack and began loading it with the first aid kit, some ropes, water, food. If Tim had survived the fall, once they got him up, they'd have to get him down the mountain. Ideally, they'd have someone else to help, but this wasn't the time of year for hiking. It was stormy which kept a lot of people away. Jesse didn't have a cell phone because there was no point when it didn't work in this area, anyway. Besides, he didn't really have anyone to talk to. Oh, he had a few friends that he would see at the coffee shop in town, but no one close. Edna had been his world. Now, his sheep were all he cared about.

...but he would leave them here to help Tony save his friend.

Preparations made, he set the alarm on his watch and lay back against the lean-to. He could still get a couple more hours of sleep before it started to get light.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

A tinny beeping noise penetrated the thick fog.

Tony wondered what it was, but then, it stopped.

"Tony, it's almost dawn."

"Wha–?"

"Wake up, son."

That did it. No one Tony knew called him that. He opened his eyes and saw...

Lean-to. Outside.

Tim! He'd fallen off the mountain!

Tony sat up quickly, heart thudding wildly in his chest.

"Whoa! Calm down, there, son. You don't need to fly up the mountain."

Tony saw the shape of Jesse in the gray of dawn.

"Here. You'll need something to eat if you're going to make it up."

Jesse handed him something. Tony took it and realized what he was holding.

"A peanut butter sandwich?"

"Wheat bread, protein, and some honey. You can eat fruit snacks on the way."

"That doesn't seem very traditional."

Jesse chuckled.

"Peanut butter is easy to carry around."

Tony started eating as quickly as he could. Jesse handed him a bottle of water. Tony chugged it down and finished eating.

"Okay. I'm ready to go."

"All right. Just a minute."

Jesse knelt down.

"Connall."

The dog came over. In the dim light, he could see the big dog. Jesse petted him.

"Okay, Connall. You're in charge. Keep the flock together, all right?"

Connall barked twice.

"Good boy."

Then, Jesse stood up.

"Okay, Tony. Let's get going."

Tony was glad to get moving, even if he felt sore and stiff as they headed out.

"I can see where you came in. This way," Jesse said. "If you feel like I'm leading us astray, don't be afraid to tell me."

"Okay."

Tony couldn't help but wonder if Tim was alive. Had he survived the fall? Had he survived the night? Had Tony abandoned him? All in all, he just wanted to get back to where Tim had fallen.

"It looks like you came down here. You certainly didn't pick the easiest path," Jesse said.

"I couldn't see anything."

"Of course, you couldn't."

It was muddy and wet, but even Tony could see where he'd broken through the underbrush. It was getting lighter, but the sun wasn't up yet. However, the better he could see Jesse, the more he wondered if he'd be much help. He was older. He looked a bit grizzled, and his build was far from muscular. Still, beggars couldn't be choosers, and Tony had no one else to turn to.

He just had to hope that things would work out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

As they continued up the mountain, it got steeper, and Tony felt the pull of the muscles in his legs as they walked. He wanted a quick pace because he didn't want to leave Tim where he was for any longer than necessary, but he was tiring out...and Jesse didn't even seem winded.

"How are you doing, Tony?" Jesse asked.

"I'm fine."

"Well, let's take a couple of minutes to breathe, why don't we."

Tony was embarrassed. It was clear that he wasn't fooling Jesse at all.

"Okay. A couple of minutes."

Tony stopped walking and leaned against a tree. Jesse passed him the water and then took a drink himself. It was literally only a couple of minutes and they were on the move again.

"You're looking a bit pale, Tony," Jesse said. "You sure you're all right?"

"I'm fine." Tony said the words, but he was lying. He felt way more breathless than he thought he should.

"Where did you two come from to go hiking?"

"DC. Why?"

"You spend any time getting acclimated?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, where my flock is right now is about 6,000 feet above sea level. We're only getting higher. That's a lot less oxygen than you're used to."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that I don't want you passing out on me. If you start to feel lightheaded, you're not going to help your friend if you hurt yourself."

"I'm fine," Tony said.

"Okay."

They started up the mountain again, and while he didn't want to admit it, Tony could feel the strain as they kept up the quick pace. Still, it was more important to get to Tim.

...that's what he kept telling himself.

Then, he started seeing black spots. He pushed on even as the spots started to spread, but suddenly, he felt a viselike hand on his arm. He was pulled somewhere he couldn't see, forced to sit down on a rock and his head was pushed down.

"Breathe, Tony. Breathe slowly and deeply. Get the air into your lungs."

Tony did as he was told and his vision started to clear.

"You're not Superman. Stop acting like him."

"Don't feel like him," Tony gasped out. "I left my red S at home."

"Good. I meant it when I said that it could get to you. I wasn't kidding. I've seen people pass out just after walking a mile at high altitude when they're used to being by the ocean. I get that you're worried, but you should make sure you can actually make it."

"I'm not really in a position to disagree," Tony said. "...what with my head between my legs and everything."

He heard Jesse chuckle and the pressure on his back eased.

"Sit up, but don't stand up just yet."

Tony sat up and was relieved that he could see again.

"Now, have a drink and then we'll start going again, if you think you're ready."

"I'm ready."

"That's what you said before," Jesse said, sternly. "Are you really?"

There was something about the way that Jesse talked. Tony actually felt guilty, as if he deserved the talking to, and that was hard to do. Many years of teachers had failed to get Tony DiNozzo to acknowledge that he deserved any punishment, even when he did.

"Maybe not as fast."

"Okay."

Tony took a drink and then stood up. He was glad to note that his vision stayed clear. Jesse set off again, pointing out all the places that Tony had been passing through. Most of them were just rocks and bushes to Tony, but he took Jesse's word for it.

Then, finally, they were up above the tree line, and Tony recognized the rock field.

"Here. This is where he fell."

He started to search for the strip of cloth he'd tied to a rock. He hurried in front of Jesse and focused on trying to find the bright blue rag.

"There!" he said, pointing to it.

He hurried over and looked down.

For good or ill, Tim was still there.

"Tim! Can you hear me?"

There was no reply that he could hear. Tony knelt down and shouted again.

"Tim!"

"I see why you couldn't get down to him," Jesse said, quietly behind him. "Let's not leave him down there any longer than he has been already."

"How?" Tony asked.

"I came prepared. I'm going to lower you down with a rope. You can check him out...see what his status is."

Tony caught the hesitation. He knew that Jesse thought Tim was dead, but he refused to believe it until he saw it himself.

"Then, we'll go from there. All right?"

"Okay. ...but he's alive," Tony said. "He's not dead down there. He survived."

Jesse didn't reply. He just set his bag down and pulled out the rope.

"You just stand there and let me get this tied."

"Okay."

Tony didn't know what Jesse meant, at first, but this was not just a simple knot around the waist. Jesse looped the rope around Tony's legs, around his waist, tying knots and weaving the rope in incomprehensible patterns. Then, he cinched it securely and pulled out a carabiner. He clipped it to the rope and pulled out another rope. Tony looked at himself and realized that he now seemed to be wearing a harness.

"Wow."

Jesse smiled.

"Best to be as safe as possible. I've had to do some climbing. You'd be surprised at the places lambs can get themselves stuck."

"I'm impressed. Can you really hold me _and_ Tim up?"

"You'd be surprised."

"I'm getting the feeling that I shouldn't be surprised at anything, really."

Jesse just smiled and set it up to help Tony get down to Tim. Tony had done some climbing, but never in this kind of situation and he was more than a little nervous...which didn't help, since he was also afraid for Tim's life, too.

Still, he let Jesse lower him down.

"If you start to slide, trust me. I'm up here and I'll hold you. You're not going to fall. Don't panic. just wait for the skid to stop because it will. All right?"

Tony nodded.

"Good. Go get your friend."

Tony started down the sheer drop, making sure that Jesse wasn't holding all his weight, but relying on that rope to keep him from plummeting down past where Tim lay.

It was slow going simply because Tony was trying not to knock any debris down that would hit Tim.

Down to the crevice and he started to skid in the loose gravel. For a moment he panicked, but he tried to remember what Jesse had said and the skid stopped fairly quickly. He took a breath and then kept going down. The crevice began to narrow, until he could actually put a foot on either side.

That's where Tim lay, unmoving, facing away from Tony. Far too quiet.

"Tim?"

No response.

Tony moved closer. He didn't want to move Tim too much if there was a neck or back injury.

"Tim?"

He reached out and touched Tim's neck, searching for a pulse, praying he'd find one.

He got something better.

As soon as he touched him, Tim twitched and made a strangled sound. It wasn't words, but it was life.

"Tim! You're alive!"

All he got in response was a trembling breath and a whimper.

Tony turned and looked up to where Jesse was watching.

"He's alive!" Tony shouted.

"Okay! I'm going to lower a stretcher. Tie him to it as securely as you can and I'll pull him up!"

_A stretcher? Where did he get a stretcher?_

That was a question for later, Tony decided. While he waited for the stretcher to come down, he turned his attention back to Tim.

"Tim, can you say anything?"

No response. Tony really wanted to move him, but until he could be sure that Tim wouldn't start flopping around...or slide further down the mountain, he figured it would be better to leave him as he was.

"Okay, I'm going to assume you can hear me, anyway," Tony said. "And you know I can talk; so you'll just have to listen. There's this weird shepherd guy that I ran into when I was going for help, and he's up there rigging up a stretcher or something. I'm going to tie you onto it. So you're going to have to trust my knot-tying skills. Then, he's going to pull you up. We're going to get you down the mountain and get you some help. You don't have to do anything except stay alive, and now that I've found you alive, you'd better stay that way. I'm not planning on carting a dead body around, all right?"

Still, no response.

Tony kept talking until the stretcher came down. He smiled a little when he saw it. It looked like it had been made from the backpack Jesse had been carrying. Figured. Speaking of backpacks, he needed to get Tim's off.

"Okay, Tim. I'm going to move you. I hope it doesn't hurt you too bad, but there's really no other choice; so you'll just have to deal with it."

That being said, Tony _really_ didn't want to hurt Tim, but he couldn't just leave him there. He didn't want to move Tim too much. That meant cutting the pack off instead of maneuvering it over his shoulders. He pulled out his knife and carefully removed the pack from Tim's back. He tied it to the harness and then, turned his attention back to Tim. Tony made sure the stretcher was stable; then, he, carefully, put his arms around Tim's waist and started to lift. Ideally, he would have made sure Tim's head couldn't move, but they didn't have anything with which to secure him that way.

So he lifted.

He felt Tim tense and heard him make another whimper.

"I'm sorry, Tim, but there's no other way to get you to the stretcher. It won't take long. Just hang on...or don't hang on. Let me do that."

He pulled Tim up. He still hadn't seen his face, but he just focused on getting Tim to the stretcher. It seemed to take forever, but he would rather be slow and do it right.

Finally, he was able to maneuver Tim as gently as possible onto his back on the stretcher. Tim's face looked awful. One side was scraped raw with small rocks embedded in the skin, along with some longer cuts that were caked with dried blood. He was badly bruised as well, and that was just his face. Tim's arm on the same side had a similar appearance.

Tony said nothing more while he focused on tying the best knots he'd ever tied. Whatever it would take to keep Tim from falling off the stretcher and down the mountain again. When he got that done, before he signaled to Jesse to start pulling, he looked at Tim once more. His eyes were closed. He was breathing, but he hadn't made a single response so far.

"Tim? If you can hear and understand me, just open your eyes. That's all I ask."

Tim was breathing irregularly, and for a few seconds, that's all he did. Then, Tony was thrilled to see that Tim's eyelids lifted for a just a moment. Not long, but long enough for Tony to assume that he was alert enough to hear Tony's request. Tony moved Tim's hand just enough to give him a very gentle five.

"Excellent! I knew you could do it, Probie." He looked up. "Okay! Start pulling!"

Jesse started to pull the stretcher up. Tony shifted it around so that it wouldn't bang against the mountain and jar Tim any more than necessary. He also started climbing with the stretcher, trying to stabilize it as much as possible while it was moving out of the crevice, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to make the last 15 feet on his own. So he had to let Tim go at that point and wait.

He watched impatiently until Tim was out of sight. He wasn't sure if he wanted Jesse to help him up as soon as he could so that Tony could check on Tim or if he wanted Jesse to check on Tim, first, and then, pull Tony up.

Minutes passed and Tony, absurdly, began to wonder if he'd been forgotten.

"Hello?" he called.

Jesse looked over the edge and smiled.

"You're ready to come up?"

"Yes, please."

"Okay. Hang on."

"Ha. Very funny."

Jesse laughed and pulled back out of sight.

"You can give me some help, son!"

The rope went taut, and Tony moved to the face of the mountain. He tried to find places to hold on and climb, but he was _really_ glad that Jesse was up there. He would be terrified to try this on his own.

Halfway up the cliff face, Tony suddenly slipped and fell away from the rock. He dropped about a foot, just long enough to panic, and then, the rope caught him. His heart threatened to pound its way out of Tony's chest, and for a second, all he could do was hold onto the rope and breathe.

Then, he pulled himself together.

"Don't be stupid, Tony. Jesse said he wouldn't let you fall."

Another deep breath and he started to climb again. He felt the rope tighten and he kept going. After another few minutes, he was at the top, climbing over the lip and shaking a little. Jesse looked like he'd had a strain, but he smiled.

"Warn me the next time you decide to jump and I'll let you go," he said.

Tony managed to laugh, but he didn't really feel like it.

"I'll do that...if I ever am crazy enough to climb a mountain again...which will be never."

"Get your nerve back while I take off the harness. Then, we can see to your friend."

At the reminder of Tim's situation, Tony felt his stomach clench and he took a deep breath to dispel the tightness. Jesse smiled sympathetically.

"He's survived this long. He's a tough nut. Don't give up on him, yet."

"I'm not giving up on him," Tony said.

"Good."

In less than a minute, Jesse had the rope harness off and he and Tony went over to where Tim was lying on the ground, still tied to the makeshift stretcher.

"I got some heat packs on him to warm him up and I gave him some water, but that's all."

Tim wasn't moving, but he was breathing.

"Let's see how bad the damage is, all right?" Jesse asked.

Tony nodded.

Jesse started at Tim's feet and carefully began feeling for broken bones. Tim let out a whimper when Jesse touched his right knee.

"I'm sorry, Tim," he said.

Then, he resumed his examination. Tim reacted with his right arm and his ribs, although Jesse couldn't tell if they were broken or just bruised. His expression was grave.

"At least two broken bones and who knows if there are other internal injuries we can't see. I don't think it would be a good idea to move him down the mountain ourselves. It'd be too jarring for him."

"What you think we should do instead? I don't think I'm qualified to act as a surgeon, and we can't stay here and hope he gets better," Tony said.

"Here's what we'll do. You stay here with him. We can get a fire going to help him warm up. You get him to drink and patch up what you can. I'll go and find some real help."

"But..."

Jesse shook his head.

"You don't know this area. I do. He's your friend, not mine. If he wakes up, he'll want to see a friend, not some old guy."

"But you're..."

"An old guy?"

"Well...yeah."

Jesse laughed outright. "I'm not just an old guy. I'm a shepherd. King David couldn't have been better at protecting his sheep than I am. I haven't lost a single sheep or lamb in the last five years...and it's not because they never wander off. They do and I find them and bring them back. I know what I'm doing and I know where I'm going. You know neither of those things, but you do know one thing."

"What's that?" Tony asked.

"You know how to help your friend...and you know that helping your friend means being here, not wandering around and getting lost." Jesse wagged his finger in Tony's face. "Stay with your flock, son, no matter how small it is."

Tony couldn't think of a retort to that rather strange metaphor; so he said nothing. They did build a fire, protected from the wind by the rocks. They carefully moved Tim to that protected spot. Then, Jesse grabbed some water and some snacks and headed off.

Tony looked after him and then, he looked at Tim who was lying so limply by the fire.

What if Tim died?

"No. Don't think that way. He's not going to die," Tony told himself. "I'm not going to let him."

Decision made, he sat down by Tim, prepared to take care of him for as long as necessary.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

It wasn't particularly warm up on the mountain, but the fire was nice, and Tony made sure that it didn't die. Tim got the blankets, of course. Jesse had left a thermal blanket and Tony put that one over Tim, first. Once he was sure that Tim was as comfortable as possible, he sat down where he could protect Tim from the wind.

Not knowing how long he'd have to wait, he decided to talk.

Talking would fill the time, and if Tim could hear, at least, _he_ wouldn't be bored, either.

"Man, Tim, you sure know how to ruin a trip. I know you weren't really excited about coming, but falling off a mountain? That really takes the cake for screwing things up." Tony took a breath and looked to see if there was any reaction.

Nothing. Another breath and he kept talking.

"I mean, really. You fall off the mountain, but you wait until we're almost at the top to do it. Come on! I know what you're going to say. You're going to say that I got us lost, that you were right and we _weren't_ on a trail. That's beside the point. If you hadn't fallen off the mountain, we would have gone back down the way we came and still ended up at the parking lot with no problem. But no! _You_ have to have a major accident and leave me wandering around in the dark, forcing me to rely on some old shepherd for help while you just lie there doing nothing."

Still nothing, and Tony tried not to let himself worry that Tim was dying.

"Yeah, and guess what, McGee. If you think you're going to be allowed to lay there and die, you've got another thing coming. I am _not_ going to sit by a dead body all day. And you are _not_ going to leave me to explain to Delilah what happened. She'd probably kill me."

He waited in silence again, but he hated the silence.

"Tim...you've got to be okay," he said. "I'd never forgive myself if you weren't. ...and you wouldn't want that, would you? I mean, I understand if you'd want to haunt me for the rest of my life, but you wouldn't want me to be unable to forgive myself. Right?"

A sudden strong gust of wind made the fire flicker. Tony quickly fed it and moved to keep the wind from putting it out.

"This... This really sucks, Tim. I never would have thought that this would happen. Never. A sprained ankle or something like that? Sure. You wimping out before getting to the top? Almost guaranteed. ...but falling off a mountain?"

Tim didn't seem to be moving at all. Suddenly, Tony was worried that Tim _had_ died and Tony just hadn't noticed. He scooted closer and put his hand on Tim's chest.

He felt the heartbeat. Slow, not the most steady, but it was there. As long as it was there, Tim was alive and Tony would take what he could get. Instead of moving back to where he'd been before, he stayed right there, his hand over Tim's heart, feeling the evidence that Tim was still alive. He really couldn't bear to think too much about the alternative.

"I hope that the old guy doesn't have a heart attack and die. Now, granted, he pretty much could have left me behind while we were hiking, but that doesn't make him He-Man or anything. He's still old. Somewhere between Gibbs and Ducky."

He looked around. Even with what had happened, he had to admit that it was an amazing view.

"It's actually pretty nice up here. If it weren't for the fact that you're laying there like that, I'd say that it was worth the trip. As it is..." Tony sighed. "You've managed to ruin this trip, Tim. I hope you're happy."

He leaned back against a rock and stared up at the sky, feeling Tim's slow heartbeat, hoping that it didn't stop. For a while, he just couldn't think of anything to say. So he sat there, hoping for the best.

Then, he felt something on his hand. He let out an undignified yelp and pulled his hand away.

Then, he noticed what it was.

Tim's eyes were open a little and his hand was on his chest.

Tim had moved! On his own!

"Tim! You're awake!"

"Hurts..." Tim whispered.

"Yeah, because you stupidly fell off the mountain," Tony said.

Tim actually smiled weakly and whispered something that Tony couldn't hear. He leaned closer.

"What did you say?"

"I...told you...I'd regret it," Tim said and let out a breath that might have been a laugh if he'd been able to do that much.

Then, he winced and his eyes closed again.

"It's okay, Tim. Don't worry. We're just waiting for help to get here. Jesse should be back anytime."

Tim opened his eyes again.

"Who?"

"A shepherd."

"Shepherd?"

"Yep. I ran into his flock when I was trying to find help last night."

Tim was breathing irregularly, but he was still awake and he seemed to be in his right mind, more or less.

"Are you thirsty?"

"I hurt," Tim said.

"Well, I'll bet you're thirsty, too."

Tony got the canteen and helped Tim drink. Tim did, but he wasn't really happy about it. It seemed to hurt him to move at all, but Tony was sure Tim was dehydrated after all the time he'd spent lying in that crevice.

"No more," Tim whispered. "I'm fine."

"Yeah, right, but I won't make you drink any more water for now."

Tim's eyes closed once more and he seemed to fall asleep...or fall unconscious or whatever.

"Tim? Can you hear me?"

No response. Tony put his hand back over Tim's heart and felt the heartbeat. Still slow. Still not steady, but it was still there.

"Tim, I don't care what it takes. We're both getting off this mountain. I don't know if I much liked being called a sheep, but I'm with Jesse. I'm not leaving you here. Got it?"

Still nothing.

Tony hated having to sit here and wait, but he really didn't know what else to do. He couldn't leave. He couldn't really do anything while he was sitting here...except make sure Tim stayed alive...and even then, what if Tim died? It wasn't like Tony could do much to stop that from happening.

Another hour passed with Tony talking every so often and then lapsing into silence again. Tim didn't wake during that hour.

But then, he woke up. Tony felt him tense. Whatever was wrong beyond the broken bones Jesse had found, it was definitely causing Tim a lot of pain.

"Awake again, Tim?" Tony kept his voice light, but he could tell that Tim wasn't in a good state.

"I'm...ready to go..." Tim whimpered.

"Go where? I don't think we're making it to the summit this time."

Tim started shaking.

"Want to...go...go..."

"Hey, Tim. Calm down. We can't go anywhere until the cavalry gets here."

"...hurts..."

"What hurts?"

For a few seconds, Tim just breathed without speaking. Then, he looked at Tony.

"My...feet don't hurt," he said.

"Your feet _don't_ hurt?" Tony asked.

"My...hands don't hurt," Tim said.

"And?"

"And...that's it."

Tim tried to smile, but Tony could see how hard it was.

"Man, Tim...I never thought I'd say this, but I wish I could trade places with you."

Tim squeezed his eyes shut.

"Me, too," he whispered. "Any...time...you want to."

For once, Tony felt like he had to be completely honest and not try to pretend he was fine with what was happening. He put his hand back over Tim's heart. It was beating fast, now, but still not regularly.

"Sitting here...watching you... This is harder than I thought it could ever be. I'm sorry this happened, Tim."

Slowly, Tim lifted his left hand and rested it on Tony's.

"Thanks," he said.

Tim's hand clenched around Tony's as another wave of pain washed over him.

"How...much longer?" he asked.

"I don't know, Tim," Tony said. "Soon."

"Sure you...trust him?"

"Yeah. He said that he never left one of his sheep when they got lost. I think he'll extend that to people, too."

"Okay."

"You thirsty?"

"Not if I have to move."

"In other words, you are."

Tony tried to think of some way for Tim to drink without moving him at all. He hated that even something as basic as a drink of water was so agonizing for him. Unfortunately, he couldn't think of anything where Tim didn't have to move at least a little bit, and Tim needed to drink, even if it hurt.

"You have enough problems, Tim. You can't add dehydration to the mix. You'll just have to grin and drink it."

"I don't...want to."

"Well, I don't care," Tony said. "If that's what you need, I'll force it on you and resisting will hurt more and take longer than just getting a quick drink will."

Tim didn't open his eyes, but he nodded slightly. So Tony got the canteen and helped Tim get a drink of water. The effort was apparently too much for Tim's meager energy reserves. After he finished, he fell asleep again...or unconscious again. Tony had no idea which it was. Come to think of it, what _was_ the difference in a situation like this? Was a bout of unconsciousness really all that different from falling asleep?

He had no idea.

Another hour passed and the only thing that changed from before was that thick clouds started rolling in. They looked rather threatening and Tony wasn't enamored at the thought of sitting out here in the rain. He also knew that Tim couldn't take something like a rainstorm. He needed to be protected, no matter what.

Tony didn't know if it _would_ rain, but he figured it would be better to be prepared, just in case.

He searched through the first aid kit and found an emergency poncho. He could prop that up over Tim and keep him from getting wet.

_Anything for me, too?_

Tony knew that he wouldn't take any of Tim's protection. Tim needed it more, but he _was_ hoping that he could find _something_ that would cover him or at least protect him from the elements a little bit.

If it did start raining, it was likely that the fire would go out. Nothing Tony could think to do about that. Unfortunately.

He decided to do what he could for Tim, first. He unfolded the poncho to see how big it was. He was disappointed to find that it wouldn't cover Tim completely. One part of him would be exposed. That would have to be his legs, not his head. So Tony grabbed some rocks and piled them up around Tim and then anchored the poncho to them, creating a kind of roof that hung just a few inches above Tim's face. Tony made sure that, if it did rain, the water would drain away from Tim, not around the stretcher.

That done, Tony searched through Tim's pack, as well as his own. He did find another poncho in Tim's small first aid kit, but that was pretty much it. Well, that was better than nothing. No warmth to be found there, but he could stay mostly dry. That would help.

He pulled out a granola bar from Tim's pack and ate it. He'd just finished when the first raindrops fell.

"Thank you," he said, looking up at the sky. "Thank you so very much. When I was thinking about what would make my day a little better, the first thought I had was that I hoped it would start raining!"

He sighed and pulled the poncho over his head. He built up the fire as much as he could in the hopes of keeping it from going out, and then scooted close enough to Tim to keep tabs on his heartbeat.

"These mountains hate us, don't they, Tim," he said.

Tim didn't move. He didn't wake, and Tony looked at him and then around the area as the rain picked up.

"Everything's gone wrong and what am I doing? I'm sitting around, waiting for the old shepherd to get back with help. He claims that he never lost anyone before, but I have my doubts. If I could do it without hurting you, I'd start down the mountain and just pull you along. ...there is the problem that I still don't know where we are, but..." He sighed. "I don't like having to rely on someone else, Tim. I don't like that your life doesn't depend on what I can do. There's nothing I can do to make this better. And I hate that. I became a cop because that means that I _am_ the one doing things to make it better...or at least to keep it from getting worse. I can't even do that, here."

The rain got pretty heavy, and Tony started feeling a little cold. The fire went out. It felt like the clouds were all around him instead of up in the sky. Tony was feeling antsy. He didn't want to sit here waiting. He wanted to be _doing_ something, something useful, something heroic. ...even something stupid if it got help here sooner.

"Tony!"

At the voice, Tony automatically turned toward Tim, but that wasn't right. For one thing, the voice had been shouting, and Tim could barely manage a whisper. For another, it hadn't sounded like Tim.

Tony looked around.

Then, to his surprise, he saw Jesse, and he wasn't by himself, either.

Jesse waved.

"Tony!"

Tony got to his feet and waved back.

Jesse and whoever was with him resumed walking. They didn't rush over. Tony wanted them to, but he guessed that it was a little dangerous right now with all the rain.

"The helicopter had to turn back because of the storm. Too much rain, wind and everything else. So I promised to bring a doctor back here. When the storm ends, the chopper will try again."

"Took you long enough," Tony said, trying to smile.

"You were more lost than I thought you were," Jesse said. "That takes time to fix."

"That sounds like an excuse," Tony retorted.

Jesse laughed.

"I can see that you were waiting with bated breath for me." He thumped Tony on the shoulder. "How's your friend?"

Tony shrugged.

"I don't know."

"This is Brandon Cutler. He's kind of the go-to for mountain rescues."

"You have this happen a lot?" Tony asked.

"More often than any of us would like. How is he?"

"He's been unconscious more than he's been awake. When he's awake, he said everything really hurts. I got him to drink a little bit, but he didn't want to move."

"How was his mental acuity? Was he aware?"

"Mostly. He seemed a little out of it one of the times he woke up, but he did talk to me."

"Okay. This storm should blow itself out before nightfall, but let's see what we can do right now."

Brandon headed to Tim. Tony started to follow, but Jesse held him back.

"Hey!"

"You need something more than a piece of plastic to wear," Jesse said. He handed Tony a jacket.

"Oh... Thanks." Tony was surprised that Jesse had even _thought_ of something like that. He hadn't asked for it, and he certainly hadn't expected that kind of consideration.

"I realize it's not the height of fashion, but it'll keep you warm."

"No, really. I mean it. Thanks."

Tony pulled the jacket on under the poncho and was glad to have the extra warmth. He'd been feeling the chill for a while.

Brandon knelt down and lifted the poncho Tony had secured over Tim. Quickly, Tony moved over and grabbed the poncho, lifting it higher, but making sure it still blocked the rain.

"Thanks," Brandon said, absently.

As he checked Tim over, Tim woke up again.

"Tony?" he asked.

Brandon was the only one in view.

"I'm here, Tim. We got a doctor."

"I'm Brandon," Brandon said. "The helicopter will be here, soon, but I came ahead of it."

Tim's eyes closed again, but he was too tense to be unconscious.

"I know it hurts, but I need to know as much as I can about your injuries."

"Hurts."

"I understand."

He checked Tim's head but moved it as little as he could. When he finished Brandon got up and gestured to Tony and Jesse.

"We need to get him off this mountain as soon as possible. I think there's internal bleeding. He's dehydrated. The broken bones... Honestly, I'm surprised he survived the night with the injuries he's got. I don't think he can survive another one out here."

"Neck injury?" Jesse asked.

"I don't think so, but we'll be careful when we get him on the chopper. I'm going to see if there's any way they can get out here, now."

Tony looked down at Tim, half expecting him to die right then, but all that happened was that Tim kept breathing irregularly. He knelt down.

"Tim, we're getting you out of here. So you have to keep dealing with it. I don't care how much it hurts. You're staying. Got it?"

Tim's eyelids lifted slightly.

"You hear me, Probie?"

Tim's head moved in a way that could be construed as a nod. Tony chose to take it that way.

"Good."

He heard Brandon on a radio, but he didn't pay much more attention than that. He was focused on making sure Tim stayed alive.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Tony parked himself by Tim and refused to move, for fear that Tim would suddenly die. He put his hand on Tim's chest again. He didn't want to have Tim go into some kind of crisis while they were waiting for rescue.

Jesse walked over.

"What are you doing?"

Tony looked at his hand and shrugged.

"I can't tell if he's breathing or anything when I just look at him...but I can feel his heartbeat. I don't want him to die on me."

Jesse nodded.

"I understand that."

"Do you?"

"Yeah."

Then, Jesse got up and walked back to Brandon. Tony watched him.

"Tim, I have the feeling we're getting off this mountain really soon. Something about that guy..."

Tony couldn't figure out exactly what it was, but he thought that Jesse was about to make a push for the helicopter to get up to them sooner rather than later.

Brandon came over and joined Tony.

"They think it's eased off enough that they can make it up here."

Tony looked around.

"Doesn't look any different to me."

Brandon smiled.

"Doesn't to me, either. ...but it did to Jesse."

"And they listened?"

"More or less."

"It's not going to be dangerous for _them_, is it?"

"It is, a little. There's always a risk flying in bad weather, but there's no lightning and the wind isn't too bad. Those are the most dangerous things. They're going to get up here as quickly as they can, load up and get back down. So we need to be ready for them. No delays."

"Right." Tony looked around. He couldn't see anything he needed to pack. "I'm ready."

Brandon laughed a little bit.

"Good."

In a few minutes, there was a loud roaring sound and the helicopter arrived. It landed a fair distance away because it needed the open space, but as Brandon had said, they didn't waste any time. They got a real stretcher, ran over and carefully began transferring Tim onto it. Brandon was updating them on Tim's status, and Tony noticed that Jesse was standing well back from the proceedings. He went over.

"Thanks for getting them up here," he said.

"They just needed a little urging," Jesse said. "I'll be going now."

"Going?"

"I've left my sheep alone for too long. Connall can't keep up with them all. I'm sure that there will be a few that wandered off and got lost. I can't leave them that way."

"Oh." Tony was surprised how much he regretted that Jesse was headed back alone. "You need any help?"

Jesse laughed.

"Not a bit. I'll be fine without your dead weight."

"You sure?"

"Positive. Go on and don't miss your ride. Good luck to you."

"Thank you. Really, Jesse, thank you."

Jesse just waved that away and walked over to reassemble his pack.

"Tony! Come on!"

Tony looked over and saw Brandon gesturing. He looked at the old shepherd one last time and then ran for the chopper. He got on and they took off within seconds.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

_Five hours later..._

Tony was sitting in the waiting room at the hospital while Tim was in surgery. The doctor had told him that there was some internal bleeding, including some bleeding on the brain, causing increasing intercranial pressure. They needed to get that in hand as quickly as possible to keep from causing permanent brain damage. They'd also be fixing other internal injuries and it could take a while.

So Tony was sitting, waiting...and trying to get up the courage to call Gibbs and tell him that Tim had almost died on this great hiking trip. He had to tell Gibbs because Gibbs could, then, call Tim's family and tell them. If he'd had Tim's phone, he might have been able to have the courage to call Tim's family himself, but Tim had left his phone in the car, and the car was still in the campground parking lot.

He had told himself that he'd wait until Tim's surgery was over, but he knew that was just cowardice. This trip had been his great idea. He had convinced Tim to come along. Tim hadn't wanted to, and he had almost died.

"Just call, DiNozzo. It's not going to change."

He sighed and walked over to a pay phone. He hadn't used a pay phone in years, but with his phone broken and Tim's phone miles away, he didn't have too many choices. Actually, he was surprised that there was a pay phone in the hospital at all. It did have the convenience of accepting credit cards. Nice of the phone company to think of that.

Finally, he dialed.

"_Agent Gibbs."_

"Hey, Boss."

"_Tony. Where are you calling from?"_

"A pay phone in a hospital in the Rocky Mountains."

"_What happened?"_

"Tim fell off the mountain, Boss. We were getting close to the top and Tim lost his balance. He fell. He was stuck overnight while I went for help. They had to send a helicopter to get him, and now, I'm in the hospital while he's in surgery."

"_He okay?"_

"No. But he's not dead. Not yet, anyway." Tony took a deep breath. "It's bad, Boss."

There was a brief silence while Gibbs assimilated the information.

"_Not your fault, Tony."_

"Yeah."

"_It's not your fault. I'll call his family. Give me the address and I'll let them know. Where's your phone?"_

"Broken."

"_McGee's?"_

"In the car...which is at the campground where we parked."

No reply to that. No need.

"Boss...I'm not coming back until Tim is. Either until he's okay or else until he tells me that I'm driving him crazy. I'm not leaving him here, alone."

Gibbs didn't reply right away, and Tony could just imagine him raising his eyebrow in that way he had. It asked any question needing to be asked without saying a single word. Actually, Tony envied Gibbs' ability in that respect. It was impressive.

He looked over and saw the doctor coming out from the OR.

"Boss, I've got to go. The doc's here."

"_Let us know."_

"Will do."

Tony hung up and hurried over.

"How is he?" he asked.

The doctor smiled. "He's not completely out of the woods yet, but we got the bleeding stopped. We'll be monitoring his ICP over the next few days. We got the bones set, stitches in. We just took him out of recovery. If you'd like, you can go and sit with him. Even if he wakes up, he'll be mostly out of it, but he might take comfort in a familiar face."

"Okay."

The doctor led Tony back.

"Dr. Cutler told me that you met Jesse."

"Yeah. He's the only person I ran into while I was trying to get help."

"I'm surprised. He's not usually very friendly when people disturb his sheep. They're all that matter to him in the world."

"Well, that can't be true," Tony said, feeling defensive of him. "If they were all he cared about, he wouldn't have helped me, and he did."

"I'm not insulting the man, Mr. DiNozzo. I used to know him pretty well...before his wife died. She had cancer, and he spent over a year doing nothing but taking care of her. In the end, it wasn't enough, and after she died, he decided to spend all his time taking care of his sheep. He's up with them all summer. He pays a couple of high school kids to run food up to him, periodically. He lives in a sheep camp in the fall as he slowly gets the flock down from the mountains. Then, in the winter, he usually gets pretty socked in at his ranch. He has a couple of hands who work for him, but all he really cares about now is keeping his sheep. I'm glad that he cared enough to help you. I think it's great, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't surprised that he did."

"He wasn't sure he believed me, at first," Tony admitted, "but as soon as I told him what had happened, he did what he could. He didn't leave until we were getting on the chopper."

"Maybe he hasn't changed as much as I thought he had. It's just too bad that he won't talk to anyone."

Tony smiled. "Maybe you shouldn't scare his sheep, then."

The doctor looked at him in surprise for a moment and then started to laugh.

"Point taken, Mr. DiNozzo. Mr. McGee is right in here. The room is empty for now, but if there's another emergency, he'll have a roommate."

"Gotcha."

Tony went into the room. Tim was lying quietly on a hospital bed. He had monitors on his head, more than one IV, a heart monitor, and a nasal cannula, but even with all that, Tony had to admit that he looked better than he had on the mountain. His face, while still badly bruised, had been cleaned up. He had some stitches on his cheek and forehead, and some back further on his head. His right arm was in a sling and his right leg was in a cast. He still looked bad, but he seemed to be in as good a state as was possible, given what had happened.

"Tim? Can you hear me?"

No response.

"Well, I'm here, and I'm not leaving until I know you're okay. Just so you're prepared for that. I'm going to hang out here until you're so sick of me that you don't ever want to see me again."

Tim didn't respond to that, either. Tony didn't really expect him to. He just sat down by the bed and prepared to wait.

But it had been a long two days, and he hadn't slept for much of the time. Eventually, he slumped down in the chair and fell asleep.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"Tony?"

It was a raspy voice.

"Tony?"

His back hurt.

"Are you dead? ...am I?"

Tony opened his eyes and stretched.

"Tony?"

Third time was the charm. Tony turned and saw Tim lying on the hospital bed with his eyes open most of the way. He still wasn't looking great, but it was far and away better than before.

"Tim! You're awake!"

"I feel terrible," Tim mumbled.

His eyes had that slightly-drugged look to them. Tony was okay with that.

"You deserve it."

"What did I do, then?" Tim asked, furrowing his brow.

Tony laughed. "No, I mean that I'm not surprised that you feel terrible."

"Oh." Tim lay there for a moment. "I feel terrible."

"You want the list of what's wrong with you?"

Tim thought about that for a while.

"Sure."

"Okay. You have a broken kneecap, a broken arm. You had some internal bleeding that they stopped, and you had some pressure on your brain that, I guess, is getting better, and you probably have more bruises than a boxer after losing 18 rounds."

Tim stared at him for long enough that Tony thought he must have lost him.

"Wow. And I'm alive?"

"Yeah. Lucky you."

"I'm not sure about that. I feel terrible."

"But you're alive."

"Yeah. I guess I am."

Again, Tim drifted for a moment.

"I'm tired," he said, finally.

"I think you can go back to sleep."

"Good."

Tim's eyes closed and he seemed to be drifting off. Then, his eyes opened again.

"Tony?"

"Yeah?"

"I fell off the mountain."

"Yeah, you did."

"Thanks for not leaving me there."

"I couldn't do that, Probie. You owe me for the rental car."

Tim smiled a little and then, he fell asleep again.

Tony watched as Tim relaxed and slept. Tim had talked, had been able to understand what Tony was saying. Sure, he wasn't at full form, but that was to be expected. Having Tim awake and aware at all was more than Tony had hoped for at this point.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_Five days later..._

Tony headed into the hospital, hoping that he'd beat Tim's family there this time. They'd got to the hospital three days ago and, since then, even when Tim was awake, it was hard to talk to him at all because there was always an audience. Tony understood that he wasn't family, but still...

When he got to Tim's room, he was thrilled to see that no one else was there. Tim seemed to be asleep, but he had complained about being so tired. Tony figured he wouldn't mind waking up for a few minutes.

He opened the door.

"Good morning, Probie!"

Tim came awake with a bit of a start.

"Oh...morning. Is it morning?"

"Yeah, it is."

Tim was still a little slow, but Tony didn't think there was any point in making Tim aware of it. He just let Tim wake up all the way without rushing him.

"Man, Tony...I am still feeling out of it."

"After falling off a mountain, you have the right to be a little out of it."

"Maybe so, but it isn't the most fun I've ever had."

"Yeah."

Tim blinked a few times and then looked at him.

"I don't blame you for what happened, Tony," Tim said. "It wasn't your fault."

"Do you remember?"

"Kind of. I was trying to catch up to you...because I knew that you'd tease me about falling behind."

"I wouldn't do that!"

Tim raised an eyebrow, looking very much like his usual self even with the stitches and abrasions on his face.

"Okay, I would," Tony said with a smile. "Actually, I didn't think you'd make it all the way up. I thought that you'd back out once we got high enough."

"I thought about it," Tim said. "But I didn't want to."

"Did you trip?"

"No. If I'm remembering right, it was strange." Tim closed his eyes in thought. "I was hurrying to catch up, walking as fast as I could. I started feeling like I wasn't getting enough air. Everything started going black and then, suddenly, I was falling. It was like I'd gone blind, but I could feel myself going backwards and...and then, I... hit, and I don't remember anything else until..."

"Until what?"

"Until I woke up...in the dark. Everything hurt. I couldn't move. I tried once, but it hurt so bad that I didn't try again. I was out and then I was awake and it was terrible every time. I didn't even feel like I could say anything." Tim opened his eyes again. "Then, you were there getting me out. Some of it is a blur, but I was so glad to hear your voice."

"For the only time ever," Tony said with a smile.

Tim smiled back, but he was still very earnest.

"Tony, I thought I was going to die. It sure felt like it. Then, you were there, talking and talking. Even when I couldn't see you, I knew you were there. That mattered."

"Well, since you were only out here because of me..."

"No, Tony. It's not your fault."

"Actually, it's not really yours, either."

"What do you mean? I'm the one who fell. I didn't even trip over anything."

"Yeah, but it sounds like you had the same problem I had when Jesse was leading me up the mountain. I nearly passed out because we were walking too fast. Jesse said that it was because we were higher than we're used to and we weren't getting enough oxygen. You probably were passing out and just didn't realize it in time. If we'd taken some time to get used to the elevation, first, we might not have had this happen."

Tim nodded slowly. Then, his brow furrowed again in thought.

"You mentioned Jesse before. A shepherd?"

"Yeah. I went down the mountain to find help, but it got dark and I got lost. I ran into his flock and charmed him into helping me. He's an interesting old guy, but he really helped. I don't know if I would have been able to get back up the mountain without him. I hope he didn't lose any sheep because of it."

"Oh. You should thank him for me. He saved my life."

Tony was about to say that he couldn't do that because Jesse had left, but then, he stopped himself. There was no reason why he couldn't try to find the old shepherd before he had to go back to DC. Brandon had made sure he got the rental picked up from the campground; so Tony still had a car to drive. He could ask for suggestions about where Jesse might be.

"That's a good idea. I should."

"Glad I could help. Now, I'm about to fall asleep again. Mom said that she'd drive me back to DC once the doctors clear me...but you can tell Gibbs that I won't be working for a long time."

"Yeah. He already knows. I called him a few days ago and I updated him, yesterday."

"Oh."

Tony smiled.

"Just go to sleep, McGee. No worries. All you have to do is get better."

"I wish I was doing that a little faster."

But Tim settled back and fell asleep quickly. Tony got up and left, looking for the doctor who had known Jesse before. He walked to the nurses' station.

"Hi, I'm looking for Dr. Sanders," he said politely. "Is he in today?"

"Dr. Sanders? Yes, but not for another hour. What do you need him for? Is Mr. McGee all right?"

"Yeah. Actually, I was hoping he could tell me where I could find the guy who helped me find Tim."

"Oh, Jesse?"

Tony let out a surprised laugh. "Do all you people know each other?"

"Pretty close. It's a small town. You're either a tourist or a long-time resident. Jesse's a long-time resident." Her smile became a little sad. "And I got to know him a little when his wife died."

"So...do you know where he'd be? He said he was taking his sheep down to the fields in a sheep camp or something."

"Oh, I know where you can look. Take the main highway north out of town and then turn east at the first paved intersection. He should be along there somewhere, in one of the fields. I'm not sure where, but that's the path he usually takes. He's the only one around here using a sheep camp these days."

"Okay. What _is_ a sheep camp?"

"It's like a tiny cabin on wheels. He actually still uses horses to pull it. I'm surprised it has room for _him_ in there, let alone anything else, but he seems to manage all right."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

Tony left the hospital and got in the rental. He drove north out of town and, following the nurse's instructions, took the first right and headed east, toward the mountains. It was all just fields and rolling hills. The road was narrow but paved. As he drove, he wondered if he had gone wrong. He couldn't see anything and, surely, something like a small cabin on wheels, along with a flock of sheep, would be pretty obvious.

But he didn't see a thing besides fields as he drove along.

Then, he went up over a hill and down into a dip.

There was a tiny cabin on wheels. He saw the sheep grazing on some small green shoots. Connall was out among the flock. It was the first time Tony had got a good look at the dog. It was huge. Easily as big or bigger than the sheep it was guarding. Actually, the color of his fur was similar as well, but that was not a dog he'd want coming after him.

Tony pulled over and got out, hoping that Connall would remember him and not attack or growl. He started walking toward the sheep camp.

The big dog saw him and growled a little, but not as much as he had that night.

"Hey, Connall...remember me? That I'm a nice person and not about to steal a sheep?"

He kept growling, and seeing him by the light of day didn't make him any less threatening.

"Who's out there?"

The door to the sheep camp opened and out came Jesse, just as grizzled and unfriendly-looking as he had appeared before. He had his rifle out and ready. Tony could see how that might put some people off a bit. He raised his hands in the air and smiled.

"Hi."

Jesse looked at him for a moment and then lowered the rifle.

"Oh, it's you. How's your friend?"

"Getting better. It was pretty bad, but he's awake and talking...for parts of the day. His family's here and he wants to get home as soon as the doc lets him leave."

Connall was still growling; so Tony didn't move, except to lower his hands.

"Can you call your dog off?"

"Connall, stop it."

Instantly, Connall stopped growling and trotted back to his place among the flock.

"He really wouldn't hurt you unless you tried to take a sheep. He's a baby," Jesse said. "When the lambs are born, he lays down by them and lets them climb all over him...and they do. Weirdest thing seeing that big dog with little lambs playing on him." He shook his head and almost looked pleasant.

"Well, I wouldn't want to make a dog that big mad at me. What kind is he?"

"Great Pyrenees. Best sheep dog I've ever had. What are you doing here?"

"Wanted to say thanks."

Jesse shrugged. "Already did that. Don't need to say it again. I have a good memory."

Tony laughed.

"Are you really like that or are you just testing me?"

"Like what?" Jesse asked, narrowing his eyes a bit.

"Pretending that you're all gruff and mean. I think you're just like Connall."

Jesse raised an eyebrow and then smiled a little.

"Maybe I am. What's it to you?"

"Well, Tim wanted me to say thanks. He couldn't really before, and he's really glad that he survived."

"Me, too." Then, Jesse gave him a look. "You heard things about me and wanted to know more, didn't you. Wanted to ask questions that have nothing to do with you. Poking your nose where you're not wanted."

"I'm not wanted in lots of places where I ask questions. That's nothing new," Tony said.

"And why is that?"

"I'm a federal agent."

"Oh, I should have known."

"Come on. You have a captive audience."

"Who says I want one?"

Tony grinned. "Maybe you don't, but I'm still curious about why an old guy like yourself would want to hang out with sheep and a monstrous dog every day."

"Maybe I'm curious about why a young guy like yourself would want to come out here and go hiking when you're clearly not prepared for it."

"I'll tell you if you tell me."

Jesse rolled his eyes but then gestured toward the sheep camp.

"All right. Come on. No sense in standing here jawing. I have a couple of camp chairs. You won't fit in the sheep camp. Only room for me in there...and Connall if necessary, not that it's ever necessary. It's a nice day."

Tony followed Jesse over to the sheep camp. It looked smaller and smaller, the closer they got to it.

"Do _you_ fit in there?" he asked.

"Of course."

Jesse climbed into the camp and then came out with two folded camp chairs. He handed one to Tony and unfolded his own. Then, he sat down and looked at his sheep.

"So...you first or me?"

"You," Tony said. "You might pretend to run out of time if you make me go first."

Jesse chuckled and then leaned back.

"Edna was the best thing in my life. Best thing that ever happened to me was meeting her. And cancer was the worst thing that ever happened to her. She tried, but it won out in the end." He sighed. "Did everything we could. Doctors did everything they could. Nothing worked. In the end, she had to admit that she wasn't going to win that one. We never could have any kids. Couldn't afford to adopt, tried fostering a couple of times but it never worked out. She would have made a wonderful mother. She volunteered at the school. I'd been raised to be a farmer. She was raised to be a farmer's wife. We fit together."

"Didn't you say you had sheep before?"

"Yeah. I hired people to do this part of the job. I owned the sheep. I didn't take care of them much. I was focused on the rest of my farm. Edna loved the sheep. It was the one part of the farm she didn't mind. She loved the lambs in the spring. She'd never let me use them for meat. Only wool. I didn't mind. I don't care much for mutton. After she died...I don't know. The rest of it just didn't seem so important. Figured that I could take care of the sheep for her. Sold a lot of my land. Kept enough for the sheep and some crops. Enough to live on, to save a little and pay the men. I make enough from the wool."

"So...why be alone all the time?"

Jesse shrugged. "Always been kind of a loner. It's easier to be with the sheep than to try and find people to talk to. Besides, always wanted to be a cowboy."

"But you have sheep, not cows."

Jesse chuckled. "Yeah. That's a definite obstacle."

"Shepherd really doesn't have the same ring to it."

"Nope...but you know, I almost think it's better. I've had five years of this, and there's something about it that makes me feel closer to Edna than I could be sitting around at home."

"Those are the only options?"

"Now, listen, son, I didn't invite you to stay to have you give me advice. You asked for my story. I told it to you. Now, you tell me why you were hiking where you had no place hiking."

"Well, a buddy of mine suggested it, but then, he backed out at the last minute. Had something come up."

"Did he really?" Jesse asked.

"I don't know. The hiking was his idea, but..." Tony shrugged. "Well, actually, getting together was mine."

"Why are you acting so embarrassed by that? Not everyone is like me and likes being alone."

"It's not that. It's..." Tony shrugged again, feeling uncomfortable about sharing, but then, Jesse had done the same. "Some things have been changing a lot in the last year. Someone left."

"A female someone?"

"Yeah. ...but we weren't really together or anything. It was...complicated. And then, I just started to think about other people I'd lost touch with. Started calling some of my old friends. Seemed like a good idea. I didn't ever tell anyone about it. I just don't want to end up alone because I let people drift away."

"Not everyone does."

Tony looked at Jesse, and for some reason, saw something of himself in the man. "I don't think you do, either."

Jesse chuckled. "Well, the only one I cared about being with has been dead for five years, now. Look. I didn't help you out thinking that you'd owe me. I helped you because you needed it and I'd have done the same thing for any other fool who wandered off the mountain and into my sheep."

Tony sighed.

"And you're not a fool because your friend fell. You're a fool because you didn't even pack a flashlight! These mountains don't suffer fools. You're lucky you caught them on a good day. ...and that you ran into me. The mountains like me."

"They sure hated me."

"I don't think so. I think they were testing you. You survived. So did your friend. That means you passed."

"And what do I get?"

"To live," Jesse said, pointedly.

"Is this really the life you want?" Tony asked.

"I have my sheep. I have my dog. I have a home. Son, if there's anything more that I needed, I know I could ask any person in the area and I'd get it."

"But would you ask?" Tony asked.

"If I needed it."

"Yeah."

Tony could tell that they didn't really have anything more to say. So he took a breath and stood up. Jesse did as well. Then, before Tony could say his good-bye, Jesse clapped him on the back.

"Even though I don't need it, thanks for trying. Now, you go and keep your friends. If you want them, you gotta keep 'em close. Then, even if you end up losing them, you'll know that you had the best you could. ...and never forget to stay with your flock."

Tony laughed. That was the weirdest piece of advice he'd probably ever been given.

"You think it's funny, but it's true, no matter how you put it. The sheep never learn that if they'd just stay together where I lead them, they'll be fine. They know I'll get them out of trouble, but they don't realize that they can avoid it if they just stay together. So stay with your flock and don't get into trouble." Jesse wagged his finger in Tony's face again. "Now, get out of here and don't scare my sheep."

"Yes, sir."

Tony headed back to his car. Jesse was kind of strange, but Tony could see that he was a good man and he'd done more than Tony could have asked when he'd needed help. He just wished that he could repay. Connall was sitting contentedly on the ground. He stopped by the huge dog. For the first time, Connall didn't growl at him. He was panting and looked much less threatening. Tony hesitated and then, tentatively patted him on the head.

"Hey, take care of him, okay?"

Connall made a weird noise at him and then went back to panting.

"I'll take that as a yes."

He went and got in the car and headed back to the hospital.


	7. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_Three months later..._

It was a Saturday morning, and Tony was up early. He had to get going before Tim did. He was pretty sure Tim wouldn't wait because he wouldn't want to make any assumptions that ended up being wrong. So he drove to Tim's apartment as fast as he could. He sprinted up the stairs and knocked on the door.

He heard the thumping sound of Tim's approach. There was a pause. Then, the door opened, revealing Tim on his crutches. He managed to look surprised, as if Tony had never shown up like this before.

"Tony," Tim said. "You know...you don't have to do this. I can take a taxi. I don't mind doing it. It's okay."

He said that pretty much every week.

"I know."

That was always Tony's response. That was all that was needed.

Tim smiled and crutched back to get ready for his rehab. He had to go every other day, and Tony couldn't take him all the time, but every day that he had free, he came to give Tim a ride. Tim's arm had healed up fine. It was still a little weak, but he could use it. His kneecap, however, had been a lot worse. The break had been bad. From what they could tell, Tim had landed on that knee first, before his arm. It had saved his arm from a worse break and had probably kept him from breaking his back. However, it meant that it would take a lot of work to get back to normal. The work had started, and it was hard. Tony knew that Tim got discouraged by it sometimes and he was determined to make sure Tim didn't have to do it alone as much as possible.

Tim crutched out into the main room. He still had the scars on his face from sliding down the mountainside, but, with the exception of his knee, he was almost back to full form. He was coming to work part of the day and had said that he really appreciated the chance to be doing something with his time.

"Okay. I'm ready."

"Great. Let's go."

Tony grabbed Tim's bag and closed the door behind them. Tim settled himself on the seat and didn't comment as Tony got them going. Tony knew he was ambivalent about it. Rehab was hard, but Tim was determined to heal as quickly as his physical therapist allowed. It was just that it always led to pain along with a required effort that sometimes seemed Herculean in magnitude.

"Tony?"

"Yeah?"

"When I'm walking again..."

"Yeah?" Tony glanced over.

"We should go hiking."

Tony laughed. "Really? Are you serious?"

"Yeah, I think so. ...only not so high next time, okay? Maybe the Appalachians instead of the Rockies."

Tony grinned. "Deal. I'm holding you to that, McGee."

Tim smiled back and then took a breath, preparing himself for what he knew was coming. The pain along with the work.

"No matter what, McGee... you're not in this alone."

"I know. I never was."

And that was what mattered.

FINIS!


End file.
